The Captain’s Log THE VOICE OF CHRISTOPHER NEWPORT UNIVERSITY STUDENTS @CNUCAPTAINSLOG
W W W. T H E C A P TA I N S L O G . O R G
October 10, 2018
VOLUME 50, ISSUE 5
TheaterCNU showcases love on stage 2
BY ANNIE SILVA ANN.SILVA.18@CNU.EDU
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5 1. Beatrice (Rachel Ingle) and Benedick (Matt Stevenson) share a kiss. 2 Don Johnna (Lauren McCaffrey) and Borachio (Peyton Creasey) get down to business. 3. Beatrice (Ingle) and Benedick (Stevenson) share a moment. PHOTOS BY HANNAH MCCLURE/ THE CAPTAIN’S LOG
What’s Inside
4. Benedick (Stevenson) finds himself in a sticky situation 5. Borachio (Peyton Creasey) and Count Conrade (Isaiah Brown) 6. Hero (Sydney Jones) and Leonata (Charlie Grass) and others join for a wedding. PHOTOS BY HANNAH MCCLURE/ THE CAPTAIN’S LOG
Last Friday night, Theater CNU opened “Much Ado About Nothing” in Peebles Theater as the first production of the 2018-2019 season. Matthew Ellis plays a central role of Don Pedro, Prince of Aragon, alongside Count Claudio and Benedick (two officers in Don Pedro’s Army), played by Jack Little and Matt Stevenson. The Shakespeare adapted play is directed by Julian Stetkevych. A timeless classic, “Much Ado about Nothing” is much at home in the centuries of theater. The story begins following the victory of Don Pedro in a war begun by the betrayal of his illegitimate sister, Don Johnna. Before the war, Benedick had an amorous affair with Beatrice, the niece of Leonata (the Governor of Messina). Adding to an already complicated situation is another officer named Claudio, who fell in love with Leonata’s daughter, Hero. Now the war has finished, leaving lovers time to reconcile - but not all goes according to the plan. Balancing the act of comedy and drama, the show’s cast brought to life this tale of love lost and eventually found. The show’s central couple, Beatrice (Rachel Ingle) and Benedick embodied a typical Shakespearean conflict rooted in love. Several features in the supporting cast included the officers of Messina’s police force: the Night Watch. Throughout the performance, the audience will note their characteristic accented Southern twang. Shakespeare is frequently adapted for a more modern dialogue, costuming and aesthetic, an element clearly present in Stekevych’s production of “Much
Ado about Nothing.” Actors danced to “Cake by the Ocean” by DNCE at a ball and at the end of the play they danced to “Marry You” by Bruno Mars. In addition, the costume design featured modern elements of military uniforms for men and various style dresses for women. Many of the woman’s outfits featured bright colors and styles resembling the 1960’s. Several characters wore wedding attire, ranging from simplistic floor-length white gowns to lace, ankle-length dresses. The set for “Much Ado about Nothing” is stationary, consisting of vast archways and a patio with shrubbery surrounding. The bushes were made of wood and painted to look as if they were perfectly trimmed and could be found at a vast mansion. Patio chairs and other garden furniture tie it all together. For lighting, there were a wide range of colors projected on the backdrop to shape and characterize different scenes. The lights were also used to indicate the various night scenes. Theater CNU’s production of “Much Ado About Nothing” will be showing October 10, 11 and 12 at 7:30 in Peebles Theater.
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News
Snapshot
Sports
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Lifestyle
Go inside the Speaker event hosted by CNU Model UN.
Fall in love with the Newport News Fall Festival this past weekend.
Re-live CNU Volleyball’s impressive season.
Read about an up-and-coming Gloucester band’s new releases.
Get stoked to vote with a preview of this year’s Stroll to the Polls.